Public meeting set for Tuesday on proposed High Desert Corridor

PALMDALE – The High Desert Corridor project – which is considering a new freeway connecting Highway 14 in Los Angeles County to Highway 18 in San Bernardino County – is evolving to consider a bike path, a green energy production/transmission corridor, and a high-speed rail feeder service connector.

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) and the State of California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is hosting the last of four community update meetings on Tuesday in Palmdale.

The public meeting will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Larry Chimbole Cultural Center, Joshua Room, located at 38350 Sierra Highway in Palmdale. This meeting to be streamed live at: ustream.tv/channel/metro-high-desert-corridor

The new freeway/expressway connection between Antelope Valley and Victor Valley would link some of the fastest residential, commercial and industrial growth areas in Southern California, including the cities of Palmdale, Lancaster, Adelanto, Victorville and the Town of Apple Valley.

Based on the feedback received at previous meetings and further technical analysis, the project team will present updates on potential alignments, variations, and next steps.

Content presented at the meeting will be in the following format: Open house session from 6 to 6:30 p.m.; presentations from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., and questions and comments from 7:30 to 8 p.m.

The latest project developments include the designation of the HDC as a Strategic Multipurpose Corridor. The designation, approved by the Metro Board of Directors in March 2012 expands the scope of the 63-mile corridor to potentially accommodate a highway, a green energy production and/or transmission facility, and a high speed rail feeder service line with potential connections to the Metrolink station in Palmdale and an XpressWest station in Victorville.

The proposed 63-mile corridor under study is currently in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (Draft EIS/EIR) preparation phase, which began in late 2010. The Draft EIS/EIR is expected to be available for public review in late 2013.